The Thirteen Misfit Toys

March 24, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard

(0) dribbles the basketball against Sacramento Kings guard

(3) during the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Point Guard
Isaiah Canaan
The Sixers may not have a clear cut superstar point guard.  But what they don’t know in quality, they have certainly covered at quantity. Isaiah Canaan is a former Houston Rocket who is entering his second, um… sophomore again? season with the Sixers.   He was buried in the depth of the good Rockets team, but when he donned the Sixer jersey, his scoring coincided with his game minutes. Canaan is the third PG we’ve discussed, but his is likely the least secure role of the three.   He’s both young and improving.  He’s got ball security, and he’s got a deadly free throw shot. Still, he’s not the talk of the town.  Why?  Let me count the ways… The fans loved K.J. McDaniels, and it was the trade of KJ that brought Canaan to the team.  That set the stage for the scrutiny of the city to descend upon this young man.   Unfortunately, his youth and style did not serve him well under the scrutiny.  He was thrust into the role of starting point guard, but did not draw enough attention to himself to open his teammates up for good shots.    His shots fell in, but not at a pace to carry a team.  His ball security is good, but he lost turnovers more than he gained them. There are some who point to “the Cannon” and see a young man who is finally settled on a team, and who can use that stability to his advantage to turn the corner.  They may be correct.   Had the team acquired him without the expense of a fan favorite, or if he had been given time to grow his game before hitting center stage, the tone of his outlook would be rosier.  As it is, he fell from higher hopes and expectations than he should have been linked to, and now has to fight against the current of sentiment to secure his place on this team.

Next: JaKarr Sampson